The snow-white desert of White Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico is tough on the eyes. It seems TOO white, TOO sparkling…like an alien land from some science fiction movie. But this is real.
The dunes are created when rain and melting snow from the surrounding mountains dissolve gypsum, and carry it into the seasonal basin of Lake Lucero. When the high desert heat evaporates the lake, crystals form. Dry winds then blow the resulting gypsum crystals, now eroded into sand-sized particles, into the dune field.
This is the largest gypsum field in the world. It contains about eight billion tons of gypsum, enough to supply the United States with wallboard and plaster for nearly 500 years.
The Dunes Drive, a sixteen-mile round trip, leads from the visitor center into an area called the Heart of the Dunes. Here you can climb to the top of the dunes for incredible views of the surrounding wonderland. Coming down is another adventure…stop at the visitor center gift shop and purchase a white plastic snow saucer for a little dune surfing. The intense whiteness of the sand means it is never hot to the touch. In fact, just a few inc
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